K4 Mixer Makeover

[rp2813]

I finally got around to cleaning up the KitchenAid K4 mixer that landed in my hands a couple of months ago thanks to the aw.org connection.  The finish was yellowed around the top toward the front and on the sides, as well as around the bottom of the planetary gear housing.  There was also an accumulation of grease and grime around the trim bands, which is fairly common. 

 

I used my trusty bottle of Maguiar's Car Cleaner/Polish and the white finish returned and shined up fairly well.  It could stand a little more detail work, but it's very respectable.  The bowl was really dull and seemed like a lost cause, but some chrome polish and elbow grease restored a respectable shine.  I still have the attachments to clean up, but first need to find a place for this mixer inside the house.

 

I really like the handle and fin treatments on these models.  The handle makes perfect sense when tilting the head back.  This mixer is by far the quietest KA stand mixer I've ever heard in operation.

 

 

[rp2813]

The other side.  All in all, this mixer was well cared-for and has barely any flaws to the finish.

 

 

 

[rp2813]

The Other Extreme

I was also tipped off to an ebay item that offered the pair of beaters my little Oster Knee Action mixer needed.  Here it is, ready to perform when the time comes.

 

 

 

 

 

[bendix5]

Very nice. That is a beaut of a Kitchen Aid. I like the bowl. I have not seen a bowl like that before or the tail fin. One day I will find one like mom had. She bought it around 1950 and it had one beater and a glass bowl. That was her work horse. We seldom had store bought goodies, or bread. All meals were cooked at home until I was about 12 and then we would get store bought cookies for lunch etc. Enjoy your new mixer!!! Dano

 

[mixfinder]

Rub it Till it Shines

This kind of result only comes with a lots of hard work.  I saw the mixer before and truly appreciate what a fine job you did.  I can get a little self righteous about how clean and neat I think am and then an example like this comes to show me there's room for a whole lotta rubbing at my house.  Amazing, Ralph.

A before picture on the right.

 

[norgeway]

I dont know about.

That bowl, but most of those were tinned steel, not stainless.

 

[mixfinder]

Tin is In

They are tin and can get rusty and dull.  There are  retinning services to redo them but the cost can be daunting. I am really surpirsed to see how chrome polish brought back luster to the tin bowl.  I may need to quit using my elbow grease for other pursuits and start cleaning up the metal around here.

 

[rp2813]

Dan, I'm guessing your mom probably had a model 4B or 4C.   Those came with just the one beater and a glass bowl.   I don't know if they made a 4A.

 

Kelly, the K4 actually looks pretty decent in the "before" pictures.   I took more "after" pictures without using the flash but the entire machine appears to be a light chiffon yellow in those.

 

[mixfinder]

Ain't Got No Shine

The mixer had no sheen and the paint was definitely yellowed anywhere it was exposed to heat or grease.  There's no comparison with the before or gleaming after.

 

[rp2813]

Here's What I Use

This stuff did a great job on the Hobart K45 I found recently too.  I don't think it's as harsh as rubbing compound and so it's perfect for appliance finishes.

 

I used Grease Grizzly first, wiped everything clean, then the Meguiar's.

 

 

 

[sudsmaster]

Great mixer, Ralph.

Looks perfect for whipping up the next batch of zucchini bread!

It's in season, after all ;-)...

 

[rp2813]

Zucchini bread, zucchini cake, even zucchini soup I can handle.  Just plain zucchini?  Yeah, no.

 

[tomturbomatic]

You don't even like zucchini stewed down with onions? If squash is just boiled and not stewed down with onions, it's just half cooked.

 

[rp2813]

Nope.  I've eaten enough zucchini in my lifetime just because it was there on my plate.  Stewed would probably be the worst option for me.  I decided that life is too short to allow room for any more zucchini, so I no longer grow it, buy it, or prepare it.  That doesn't mean I wont ever eat it again.  I just don't bring it into my own house anymore.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Oh dear! You mean you were raised that way where mealtimes were battles of wills? I am sooo sorry. Really. What a shame all of that vegetable fiber did not cause your system to produce giant turds that clogged your parents' toilets.

 

[rp2813]

Tom!

LOL!

 

Who said it didn't?

 

 

 

[sudsmaster]

Well, I like zucchini, but even I would agree that all by itself it can be a bit much.

I prefer the italian varieties, which are far more flavorful and nutty tasting than the usual bland watery green tubes sold in supermarkets. So that's what I grow in my garden each summer - "Romanesco"....

And even then, mostly I find it's best when stir-fried or sauteed with plenty of oil (olive or peanut), garlic, soy sauce, and meat for flavoring. Served over rice or with noodles, as well. Very tasty.